Paradise Problematic
by Isisisawesome
Summary: Working for Dr. Barlow has its ups and downs. At first, when Deryn and Alek recieve the mission of a lifetime in a tropical paradise, they consider it an 'up'. But the road to completing their mission is not as pleasant as their surroundings.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey there! Thanks for stopping by. This fanfic is inspired by my place of residence. In other words, I thought it would be cool for Deryn and Alek to "visit" me. Of course, they'll be here about 84 years before I stepped foot on this island. But that's beside the point. Now on to the show!**

* * *

><p>Under normal circumstances, Deryn Sharp would have been awake when the lady boffin walked into the room, a loris on her shoulder and an energetic thylacine bounding in behind her. This morning, however, the former midshipman was snoring softly, dangling one arm off the bed as Dr. Barlow seated herself in the chair beside the window.<p>

"Do wake up, _Mr._ Sharp."

Tazza nuzzled Deryn's hanging hand and licked her cheek gently. She mumbled something about _barking beastie breath_ and pushed the animal away. Yawning, stretching, and rubbing her slightly sore temples, she sat up slowly to face the boffin.

It ran through her head what a mess she must look. She could feel her hair sticking up in every direction. And after last night's escapade through the chimneys of London, she still had a fair bit of soot on her face and clothes. The dress suit she had "borrowed" from the Zoological Society was rumpled and dirty, and Deryn had been so tired last night she hadn't even borrowed to take off the tie. Not that it was all her fault. It was under Dr. Barlow's orders that she and Alek had attended that daft party and ended up chasing a German spy over half the rooftops of the barking city.

The loris on Dr. Barlow's shoulder sniffed at her, looking at her with apparent disdain.

Oblivious to Deryn's inner musings (and politely pretending not to notice her disheveled state) the lady boffin stated her reason for visiting. "You and Prince Alek have just obtained jobs for yourselves."

Deryn blinked. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I was under the impression that we already had jobs. Here. Capturing German spies and whatnot."

"Fah," Dr. Barlow waved her hand dismissively. "What you and Alek have been doing these past few weeks is mere paperwork compared to your new mission. Necessary to the success and organization of the society, but only fulfilling its original purpose in a minor way."

Deryn's eyebrows knit together, and the pain in her temples intensified. Was she saying that all the hard work she and Alek had done since they left the Leviathan had been nothing more than...paperwork? "Wait...so what me and Alek - "

"Alek and I," the boffin corrected.

"_Alek and I_," repeated Deryn testily. "You're saying what we did wasn't important?"

Dr. Barlow raised her eyebrows, the tops of them disappearing behind the rim of her bowler hat. "Oh, not at all. Quite the opposite really. Paperwork is a vital part of any organization."

"Aye, so is cleaning the bums of the draft beasties, but you don't see any of us lining up to do that," Deryn said under her breath.

"What was that?" Dr. Barlow asked.

"I was asking what the new mission was, then," Deryn snapped.

"No need to bark at me, Mr. Sharp, just enunciate when you speak and I shall not have to ask you twice what your inquiry was."

"Enunciation is key," repeated the loris slowly. Deryn glared at it. Her head hurt a little more.

"Now, this mission is going to require quite a bit of travel," the boffin continued. "Are you familiar at all with the politics and economics surrounding American business in the pacific islands?"

* * *

><p>Alek stumbled down to breakfast, rubbing his still-tired eyes. His shower this morning had washed away almost all of the soot, but barely any of the sleepiness. Capturing that German spy last night had taken much longer than either he or Deryn had predicted. Then again, it was only their third spy catch, and the wine they had consumed at the party might have boosted their confidence and slowed their reflexes. Come to think of it, he did have a slight headache now, a buzzing behind his eyes that was spreading to his temples. Perhaps they had drunk more than they thought.<p>

"Hung-over," declared a voice from his shoulder with a giggle. Bovril had of course accompanied him and Deryn on their expedition, although he spent most of the night in Alek's jacket.

The former prince of Austria-Hungary grabbed a few waffles off the breakfast buffet cart, drowned them in maple syrup, and put a handful of strawberries on the plate for Bovril. He went to seat himself at his and Deryn's usual corner-in-the-back-of-the-room spot. A man with a dark complexion and muscled arms bumped into him and spilled a few crumbs onto Alek's worn piloting jacket. He apologized quickly and continued on his way, stuffing his mouth as he went. Alek brushed the crumbs off the fading Hapsburg crest embroidered on the sleeve, wondering where the man was going so quickly. The hotel's food court was more crowded than he was used to, but none of the people there were too busy to sit and eat, and there still were plenty of available seats besides. A loud peal of laughter made his head hurt even more, reminding him why he and Deryn usually ate the first meal of the day at an earlier time.

The past few weeks had been a blur of training, sneaking, chasing, and detaining, mixed with the frequent bits of bliss he acquired just by being with her. Every day was an adventure, no matter what they did. As long as they were together, they were happy. His cheeks began to turn red just thinking about it all, and the surreal thought that it was all real. He had given up an empire for her, she had given up her position on the Leviathan; so much had changed, and yet they remained together somehow.

"It helps that we're barking good at the jobs these Zookeepers give us," she said when he wondered why they had never been split up by the society. And it was true. They were the youngest team in the organization as far as Dr. Barlow knew, and they had trained to catch spies even quicker than some of the older recruits. But besides that, Alek had a feeling that Dr. Barlow had put in a word that had helped them stay together as well.

Just as Alek was taking the first bite of his waffles, Deryn approached, positively glowing with excitement. He could tell that she had washed up in a hurry: her simple boy's clothes were slightly askew, she still had remnants of chimney soot on her arms, and she hadn't bothered to comb her hair. Without stopping, she grabbed a fork from the nearby utensils tray. Then she plopped herself down across the table from him and proceeded to steal one of his waffles, cutting and devouring with expert precision.

"Good morning, Dylan," Alek said with a grin.

Deryn grinned back at him. "Morning! Good waffles."

"_Mr._ Sharp!" Bovril ran up one of her arms and back down the other, then settled back to eating his strawberries, humming contentedly as he always did when Alek and Deryn were together.

"So," Alek ventured. "Any particular reason you're grinning like a loon and not even getting your own plate of breakfast?"

She swallowed the last bit of the pilfered waffle, licking the syrup off of the fork with a satisfied expression.

"Aye. Pack a bag, your princeliness! We're going to Hawaii."

* * *

><p><strong>Eeeeeep! <strong>

**Sorry for the shortness. More to come! I pinky promise. Until then, why not _review_? Or just follow. That's cool too. But reviews grant you more awesome points. Scratch that. Reviews earn you _Bovril_ points, which are equivalent to like a million awesome points cuz Bovril is just that wonderful.**


	2. Chapter 2

The _Minotaur_ was marvelous. It gleamed grandly in the winter sunlight, cutting through the freezing air with a precision achieved by only the most disciplined airbeasts. It buzzed with the activity of countless humans and beasties, all of them working together to achieve a complex rhythm of life. It traversed the entire Atlantic and more than half of the North American continent in all of four days, and was now cutting straight across the rocky mountains, making its way to Hawaii in record time. Every fixture had a purpose; every beastie had a place; every person had a job.

Every person, it seemed, except for Deryn. While the rest of the crew took care of all the important duties of an airship, she was forced to spend her precious days in the air with boffins and their snobby assistants. Even with her medal of honor and her trousers and her boy's name, she was barely allowed topside, much less on the rigging. Instead of the wind in her face and knots of rope in her hand, she observed bickering boffins in the gondola rooms all day. She couldn't do much worth doing.

It was dead boring.

The only thing that kept her sane was the company of Alek and Bovril. But half the time, they were actually_ talking _to the boffins (all members of the Zoological society) who were there to assist in the mission, since Dr. Barlow herself was unable to accompany them. Apparently she had some other, more pressing matters to attend to elsewhere. When Deryn asked why they weren't going with her, seeing as how they were her assistants, she replied that they _would_ be assisting her. "What you observe in Hawaii will be invaluable to me," Dr. Barlow had explained. "And not to worry: I am leaving you in very good hands. Dr. Goldman and Dr. Stanton are exceedingly reliable, and their assistants are lovely young people. Your loris should be additional protection, even in its...ah...seemingly defective state." At that moment, Bovril had been practicing some martial arts moves he had seen in the streets, making a "Hi-yah!" sound every time he moved. Dr. Barlow had grown used to the fact that the loris had become attached to Deryn and Alek equally, but she still refused to refer to him by name.

Whether or not Dr. Barlow had been correct in her assumptions about Hawaii would have to wait until they arrived there and actually learned what their mission was. But it turned out that she had been right about one thing: the boffins could be counted on to be arguing about one theory or another at least ten times a day. But so far, their two assistants had shown no loveliness, and Bovril had failed to protect Deryn and Alek from their unpleasantness.

Deryn traced a pattern in the grain of the wooden dining table, silently wishing for an attack on the airship, just for some excitement. Her head rested on her other arm, and she sighed disconsolately.

Alek prodded her resting arm with his fork. She looked up at him slowly.

"You okay?" he asked, his face bunched up with concern.

She smirked at his worry, feeling the slight urge to make a snarky comment about his protectiveness. She decided to answer honestly - not like she wouldn't talk to him about it sooner or later anyway. "I'm just barking tired of not doing anything, is all," she said. "I feel like...like..."

"Like a waste of hydrogen?" Alek supplied with a sympathetic smile.

Deryn nodded. "Exactly."

He looked out the window. She followed his gaze and noticed that the snowy peaks passing below them looked eerily similar to the Alps where they had first met.

"That's how I always felt, back on the _Leviathan_," Alek began. The word sent a stab of pain through Deryn's chest. She had tried not to think about it, especially since she was back on an airship. But it always made its way back into her thoughts. Her eyes started to fill with tears as the memories rushed in, and she stubbornly held back their flow, her throat burning. Bovril came up and laid a furry paw on her hand.

Alek continued, "I felt like I could never do anything helpful, that I was always in the way of everyone." Then he looked straight at her, a twinkle in his eyes. "I wasn't like you: I didn't save people, I wasn't daring and smart, I didn't contribute anything to the ship."

"But you did, Alek," Deryn argued, sitting up, momentarily forgetting her anguish. "You saved me plenty of times, and you're as daring and smart as they come."

Alek smiled. "I realize the first part now. I'm very glad I saved you. And I'm very glad you saved me. If you wait this out, I promise we'll save each other again, and you'll be happy for it."

Deryn stared at him for a moment, stunned by his sudden seriousness and the light-headed, floaty feeling she sometimes got when he talked like that. She reached over the table to take his hand. "I already am happy, you daft prince." She felt the air around them get all crackly, and Bovril keened softly.

Suddenly the door to the dining room swung open, and Deryn and Alek flew apart, nearly falling off their chairs. Bovril shot two feet straight into the air before landing back on the table with a _thump_. Dr. Goldman and Dr. Stanton strode in, not paying a whit of attention to the flustered assistants sitting before them.

"As I said before, Jacob, there is no premise whatsoever for the vitamin hypothesis of deficiency disease," Dr. Stanton was saying. She gestured wildly with her hands, her blonde hair falling out of her bun and her grey eyes glinting madly.

Dr. Goldman glared at her evenly as he took a plate from the food cart, his dark eyes searing holes into the other boffin's face. "There is indeed a premise, Gloria, and I would explain it to you if I thought you might understand it, unlike the multiple other times I attempted to," he said coldly. He ran his hand over his already-smooth black hair and began to stack food on his plate.

"Oh, so the fact that you are incapable of proving your theory is somehow my fault?" Dr. Stanton spluttered indignantly, grabbing her own plate.

They continued on like this as their respective assistants walked in. First was a girl about 17, with curly golden hair that fell to her lower back in ringlets. Her eyes were an amber color that matched her hair almost perfectly, and her dresses always seemed to accentuate her womanly curves _just _right. She moved with inhuman grace, yet she had a certain hard edge to her that Deryn could never quite put her finger on. Perhaps it was the chilly glances she always shot at Deryn, or the way she always held her nose up at everyone that wasn't Dr. Stanton or Alek. She was quite the loyal puppy to her employer, and as for Alek...

Next to stride in was a young boy with shifting eyes and bony stature. His hair was a greasy brown mop that brushed his shoulders, and though he barely reached Deryn's elbow, he walked around like he owned the place.

Both assistants made their way to Deryn and Alek's table, grinning like they were all old friends. The boy's crooked yellow teeth contrasted sharply with the girl's shining white ones.

"Hi Alek," the girl said sweetly. She sidled up to the former prince, ignoring Deryn completely.

"Good morning, Courtney," Alek replied stiffly. "Nathaniel," he acknowledged, nodding at the boy taking a seat at the far end of the table.

"It's Nate," the boy corrected with a growl. But he still seemed pleased that Alek had spoken to him.

Neither of the assistants seemed to be aware of Deryn's existence.

"Hullooo, ninnies!" Deryn greeted jovially, waving her hands at each of them. Nate sneered, and Courtney pursed her lips at her.

"Hello _Deryn_," Courtney spat at her. "Still playing dress-up, I see."

A fresh stab of pain hit Deryn. That was the worst thing, she realized. They all knew her secret. Dr. Barlow had somehow found it necessary to tell all four of these loathsome individuals that she was actually a girl, and that they had to keep it a secret under penalty of expulsion from the Society. That didn't mean they couldn't hold it against her.

"You're cheerful as ever, Goldilocks," Deryn replied coolly, taking a grape from a bowl in the center of the table and popping it into her mouth.

She saw Alek stifling a smile as Courtney scowled, turning back to him.

"So Alek, I was thinking..." the girl began, then leaned to whisper something in his ear, covering her words with a lean hand.

The tips of Alek's ears turned bright pink as she leaned away with a sultry look on her face. "Uh...I d-don't think so Courtney," he said, fumbling for words.

She pouted girlishly. "Why not?" she whined.

Deryn slipped beneath the table and covered her mouth with both hands, shaking with the force of her barely contained laughter. She didn't hear Alek's stuttering reply.

"Well," she finally heard Courtney say with a sigh, "tell me if you change your mind." Her footsteps began to move away from them. "Bye Alek! Come on, Nate."

A few minutes passed before Deryn emerged from below, wiping tears from her eyes. She took a few deep breaths.

Alek glared at her, rosiness spreading to his cheeks. "You wouldn't have been laughing if you heard what she said," he muttered.

Deryn stifled another bout of giggles. "I can guess," she said.

"Is that a normal activity for young women to participate in in Great Britain?" he asked with a grimace.

"If it's what I'm thinking..." Deryn paused. "Well I guess...I dunno. I never was one to hang about with _normal_ lassies anyhow, now was I?" Alek finally laughed with her at that. Thinking about her childhood reminded Deryn of something. "Speaking of which..." she began.

"Mr. Sharp," said Bovril thoughtfully, staring at her with his large eyes. Alek raised an eyebrow at the loris.

"Aye, beastie," said Deryn, swallowing another grape. "It's high time I get more than a fleeting wave from my _cousin_."

With that, she grabbed Alek's hand and led him out of the dining room. 

"Jaspert! Get your sodding bum-rag of a self down here before I set the fletchette bats on you!" the former midshipman called up to her brother, who was swinging on the rigging with his coxswain friends.

"Make me, little girl!" he called back. For a split second, she was terrified that he had revealed her to all of his friends, but then she saw them all guffawing. She grinned. That was just how Jaspert teased his younger cousin, the lanky Dylan Sharp.

"Come on," she yelled over her shoulder at Alek as she began to ascend the ropes with the assistance of a knot she had tied on the walk there.

"Come on whe-" Alek started. "Wait Dylan! Your knee-"

"It's _fine_, now get up here you ninny!" She threw him another climbing knot, and he reluctantly followed her.

The two made their way up the side of the great airbeast in record time, thanks to the weeks of training that had kept them in shape. By the time they reached Jaspert and his friends, Deryn's fingers ached slightly and her kneecap was buzzing, but she felt better than ever. Her joyful laugh echoed across the mountains.

"Glad you could join us Mr. Sharp," Jaspert said playfully. "Who's your friend?"

"Glad to be here, Mr. Sharp," Deryn countered. "This is my trusted ally and fellow assistant, the former prince of Austria, Aleksandar of Hohenburg."

"Please, call me Alek," Alek said. He had reached the party the same time that Deyrn had, and he wasn't even breathing heavily. She frowned. When had he gotten so fast? Or rather, when had she gotten so slow?

Alek shook Jaspert's hand, both boys swinging, one arm each in the rigging.

"Jaspert, right?" Alek asked. Coxswain Sharp nodded. "I've heard a lot about you from Dylan," the former prince continued.

Jaspert cocked his head to one side slightly. "Aye? You two talk a lot?"

Alek's eyebrows furrowed. "Well, yes. We do work together."

"Of course," the coxswain said, looking pointedly at Deryn. _We'll talk about this later,_ he seemed to silently say.

She narrowed her eyes at him and resisted the urge to stick her tongue out. Instead, she decided to change the subject. "So what have you been up to, Coxswain Sharp?" she inquired.

Jaspert frowned. "Well, as much as I would like to regale you with grand stories of my heroic deeds, nothing big has happened since I last saw you. Except for the war, that is, but I hear you saw firsthand how that messy business started up. Meanwhile the _Minotaur_ has been stuck in the homeland, with just a few scattered battles to entertain her." His eyes alighted on Deryn's Air Gallantry Cross, and he smirked. "Speaking of battles, why're you wearing Da's medal?"

"Get stuffed. You know very well it's my own."

"Alright, aye, but what I'm not aware of is the exact story behind its placement there." Jaspert poked her chest, flicking her nose when she looked down at his finger. His friends laughed. Even Alek chuckled. Deryn glared at all of them.

"I happen to have saved another middy from a burning Huxley, thank you very much." The laughter died out. Jaspert grinned at her.

"Tell me all about your adventures, Mr. Sharp," he invited.

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews = Bovril points.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**So. School and summer have been distracting me from this story for weeks upon weeks, but the good news is I finally made an outline-ish thingy so that I actually know where I'm taking this story and can therefore write faster! Oh also there's a mild lemon at the end, so heads up for all you squeamish readers. ;) Okay. Storytime!**

The Scottish siblings would have talked nonstop after their reunion, were it not for Jaspert's coxswain duties. After a hurried dinner in the middy's mess (which Alek suspected was a painful meal for Deryn, who cringed at everything that reminded her of her old airship home), they had arranged to meet at Deryn's cabin around eleven, when everyone else on board was asleep.

Now it was late in her room. She, Alek, Jaspert, and Bovril were arranged in a circle on the floor, leaning towards each other like schoolchildren swapping secrets at a sleepover. Which they could have been, Alek realized, if he hadn't been born a prince, if Deryn wasn't a girl pretending to be a boy, and if Jaspert had gone to a university instead of joining the Air Force.

Deryn had spent the last few hours recounting their adventures abroad, looking to Alek every once in a while for added details and embellishments, and finding some un-asked-for help from a certain perspicacious loris that was perched on his shoulder.

"O' course though, since Tesla was barking mad, he ended up frying himself with his fancy machine..." she was whispering. Alek noted that this was the first lie she had told her brother since she began talking. Until now, she had told Jaspert everything that wasn't an airship or boffin-ish secret. He frowned slightly. He had asked her not to tell anyone, and of course she had fulfilled his request thus far, but it was odd knowing that she would lie to her own blood for him. He supposed he should feel glad at the fact that she was so loyal to him, but she had already kept so many of his secrets for so long, that now, it just made him feel a bit...guilty.

"And Alek and I have been working for the lady boffin ever since," Deryn said, "Doing top-secret missions and such, isn't that right, Alek?" She grinned at him. His heart fluttered as he nodded.

"Lots of running," Bovril added with distaste. Everyone laughed softly.

Jaspert punched Deryn lightly in the arm, his fist clenched around the neck of a foul-smelling glass bottle. Its contents sloshed when he swung it, and Alek feared that the stuff would spill onto the floor and stink up the whole room forever. It didn't.

"Those are some terrific tales you got there, sis. Barking brilliant if they weren't quite so _tall_, Mmmmm?" Jaspert slurred. He wobbled on the elbow he was supporting himself on.

Deryn bristled. "They're all true as trees, and Alek is my witness for every one of 'em! Well, 'cept for my free ballooning in that Huxley. He wasn't there for that one...but neither were you! So shut your haggis-hole!" She moved to smack him.

Jaspert smirked (he looked a lot like Deryn when he did that, Alek noticed) and rolled onto his back to dodge her swing. He latched onto her arm with his free hand and pulled her to lie beside him. She landed with a _thump,_ and their competition dissolved into hushed laughter.

"You're still a ninny," Deryn said, playfully shoving him away.

She rolled back onto her feet and went to plop down beside Alek. Her hair had gotten longer over the past few weeks, and it now reached just below her ears. A stray strand brushed his cheek on her way down. He smiled at her and tucked the strand behind her ear. She turned to him, smirking.

"And you're still a _Dummkopf_," she said. Bovril snickered.

Alek furrowed his brow. "What have _I_ done?"

Deryn grinned savagely. "Nothing...yet." She leaned against him and resumed talking to Jaspert. "So you say this thing is the fastest airbeast in the sky?"

Jaspert sat up suddenly. "Oh, absolutely. She'll overtake anything eventually...there was one time, before the war officially began, that we raced a squad of Clanker aeroplanes around the world... and ended up passing the poor buggers _twice_!" He erupted into laughter, and Alek and Deryn shushed him quickly. He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "You sure you all wouldn't like a squick of scotch to soften your spirits?" he slurred. His 's's were starting to sound like 'sh's. The loris stretched its arms out towards the bottle and Alek flicked its hands in disapproval.

"No thanks, Jas," Deryn said politely. The night-of-too-much-wine had only been a few days ago, and Alek suspected that, like him, she wanted to lay off the alcohol for a bit. "He'll be snoring soon enough," she whispered to Alek.

Jaspert shrugged and took another swig. "Suit yourselves," he said, though it sounded a bit like 'shoot your shelvesh' to Alek. Deryn shook her head. Bovril snorted. Alek couldn't help his smile.

There was a moment of near quiet; all he could hear was the swishing of Jaspert's scotch and Deryn's quiet breathing beside him. He realized that this was the first time since the Leviathan that they had been up this late together while not doing a mission. Even so, he knew her well enough to tell that she was as close to dozing off as her brother was, maybe closer.

His suspicions were confirmed when Deryn yawned for the third time that night as Jaspert began talking again.

"All your crazy ventures, Deryn...not to mention that air gallantry cross! I really am proud of you...and...Da would be too."

He couldn't quite tell in the dim light of the glowworms, but Alek thought her eyes got glassy at that.

"Thanks, Jas," was all she managed to reply.

Minutes later, Deryn had fallen asleep with her head on Alek's shoulder. Bovril clicked his tongue at them. Jaspert gave them a scrutinizing look.

"Soo..." the scotsman said slowly. "You two've been working...closely...for a while then?"

"Since the day we met, excluding that month-or-so hiatus where I was working with Tesla. But then we were still sending letters to each other."

Jaspert's demeanor changed suddenly and he let himself fall to floor, facing the ceiling. "Alek..."

"Yeah, Jaspert?"

"You...you take good care of my sister, yeah?"

"I...I'm...I don't know what you're -"

The loris seemed to find his panic funny. Jaspert swung his hands in the air grandly. His scotch managed to fly out of the bottle and land back inside it miraculously. "Come off it, you ninny! I've seen the way you two look at each other. All soft and mushy-like. And just look at her now...so are you going to promise me that you'll take good care of her?"

Alek blinked. He shouldn't have been surprised, of course. They had let almost all of their guard down around him, seeing as he was Deryn's own brother. But until now, no one had ever talked to him about their...involvement...directly, not even Volger. He swallowed. "Of...of course. I fully intend to -"

"Good. 'As good. Just remember..." he sat up, at stared at him, deadly still. "If you hurt her, I'll bash your barking teeth in, chop you into pieces, and feed you to the ship's beasties. Aye?" He seemed suddenly sober.

"...Understood sir." He tried to sit up straighter without jostling Deryn's head. Did he look so unreliable? Or was this just how brothers acted? Without any siblings, Alek couldn't know.

Jaspert stayed there for a second, then smirked and fell back to the floor, thoroughly intoxicated once more. He paused.

"For the record, this is the first time I've seen her so happy since before Da's accident."

For the first time in a long time, the former prince of Austria-Hungary was at a complete loss for words.

But apparently no words were needed, because Jaspert seemed to have fallen asleep immediately after his momentous statement. He was now snoring so loudly that it was amazing anyone else on the ship could sleep.

Alek smiled as Bovril yawned and climbed into Deryn's lap. Alek readjusted to lay beside her, his arm under her head. She sighed peacefully and automatically snuggled into his side, the loris squished between them comfortably.

Jaspert began to mumble about banana bats in his sleep, and Alek turned his head to see him desperately clinging to his bottle, curled around it in fetal position.

"Goodnight everyone," Alek whispered into the darkness. He reminded himself silently to wake up early, so that he and Jaspert would be out of the room before sunrise. Then he closed his eyes.

_Fire. Heat. Light. Smoke. Everywhere. Suddenly she is falling, and when she hits the ground, she feels no pain, only terror at the sight of that flaming balloon that is carrying her father away forever._

She awoke in a dark room where a greenish glow lurked in all the corners. Her mind was trapped in that horrible moment. It had happened so long ago, but the pain was so real and so immediate that part of her believed that she was still living it. She heard a voice in the distance, calling to her, but she was frozen in fear, even as she was fighting for the nightmare to end.

Alek held Deryn tight as her body was racked with sobs. Her mouth opened in a silent scream for an endless moment, then she gasped for air.

"Shhh, Deryn, shhh. It's okay, come back now. You're alright, you're here, you're with me. Please Deryn, come back to me..." He tried desperately to reach her, but her mind seemed intent on staying asleep. She whimpered, a decidedly un-Deryn-ish sound. Alek began to panic.

"_Please _Deryn, _wake up_! I...I..." In a moment of intuition, he leaned down and pressed his lips urgently to hers.

Deryn's breathing evened out, and her eyelids fluttered open.

"Alek?" she asked hoarsely. He pulled her into a quick, tight hug.

"You scared me," he admitted. "Are you okay?"

She gave him a shaky smile. "Better, now."

He smiled at her, overcome with relief. "Good," he said. He hugged her again, longer this time, and they stayed like that for a while. He noticed that Deryn's heartbeat was still beating rather fast, and was about to comment on that fact when he felt a spark. It seemed to leap from Deryn's trembling hands, through his back, straight to his heart. From there it spread like wildfire, sending chills all over his body and causing him to gasp softly.

"...Alek?" Deryn must have heard him. She pulled back slowly, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She looked at him through still damp lashes, and before he could think about what he was doing, he pressed his lips against hers roughly.

She responded with equal ferocity, forcing his mouth open. Their tongues collided and moved around each other with almost violent energy. Soon her fingers were caught in his hair, and his hands were wrapped around her waist, each pulling the other ever closer.

She asked no questions, and he gave no answers. The wildfire that had spread all over his body continued, and he wondered that such a burn – consuming nothing, yet emitting such a ferocious heat – could exist.

He moved his lips along her jawline, instinctively biting the side of her neck when he reached it. She shuddered deliciously, and gave a little moan that pushed him over the edge. His brain seemed to go on auto-control, his hands traveling up and down her body of their own accord, his mouth biting, sucking and brushing against the soft skin of her neck and shoulders on their own. Her hands had found their way inside his undershirt, and were trailing more fire up and down his back, her grip tightening every time he found a soft spot on her body.

Suddenly a loud snore could be heard rumbling off to their right – reminding them that there was a sleeping coxswain to be attended to in the very same cabin.

They froze…Alek leaned back to look at Deryn. She was panting; her cheeks were flushed and her hair was mussed perfectly. He smiled sheepishly, feeling a sudden wave of shame and embarrassment.

"Sorry," he whispered, starting to extract himself from their tangled embrace.

"Don't be," Deryn replied enthusiastically. She rolled on top of him and kissed him again, softly this time. Sighing contentedly, she laced her fingers in his and sat up, straddling his midsection. Alek grunted. She wasn't heavy, but he hadn't been prepared for the fresh wave of urges that threatened to overwhelm him with her tiny move, urges that he could only describe as animalistic.

"We had better get him at least out of my cabin," she mused, staring at her snoring brother, oblivious to Alek's dilemma. "I don't fancy a pool of vomit next to my bed to greet me in the morning."

Alek nodded mutely. She looked down at him. "You okay, daft prince?"

"Perhaps you could, erm…what I mean is, it would be easier to help you with that, y'know, moving your brother and such, if, uh…" he stumbled. She smirked, enjoying his discomfort.

"What? Can't handle a wee lassie on your tummy?"

Alek's ears burned. Deryn laughed quietly and got off of him. "You would've been alright with it a minute ago."

"A minute ago, I was an uncouth lout," he protested.

She brought her face dangerously close to his. "Perhaps you should try being an uncouth lout more often," she whispered, her eyes sparkling.

"I'm afraid that would be an...unwise move on my part," Alek said, shaking his head carefully. She shrugged and moved away from him. He immediately missed her warmth.

They surveyed the scene: Jaspert was still curled around his bottle, snoring softly, his right shoe on his left hand and his jacket hanging on his right foot. Bovril lay sprawled over his head, one arm dangling in front of his nose like a strange multi-colored mustache.

"Well, let's get him out of here before his stink saturates the air, shall we?" Deryn said.

Alek wrinkled his nose in agreement and moved to drag Jaspert back to his room.

**Remember: ****review**** = Bovril points (better than awesome points)! :{D**


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Alek meandered into the middy's mess at breakfast to see Deryn seated and already chowing down a plate full of eggs and fruit, Bovril at her side. She grinned at him, reddened cheeks giving her that glowing look all over again. Alek felt his heart being tugged towards her even as he sat beside her.

"Guten Morgen, meine Liebling," he said, kissing the top of her head, since they had the room to themselves for now. She swallowed audibly and pushed the plate toward him.

"Morning! Try the eagle eggs – they're delicious," she said.

Just as he was about to take a bite from her fork, the doors the dining room burst open and revealed a preened Courtney striding in. She pushed between him and Deryn, who rolled her eyes and went back to her eggs.

"Hi Alek," Courtney said, echoing her greeting from the day before. She put her chin on her tiny fists and leaned her chest toward him, taking advantage of the daringly low neckline of her dress.

Alek smiled tightly and scooted away from her. "Hi Courtney," he said, looking around for a topic of conversation other than what she was presenting. "Where's Nathaniel?"

The girl shrugged – bringing more attention to her chest – and replied, "Probably working on his weird little animals."

"How do you mean?" Alek asked, glaring at Deryn, who was smirking at him with her mouth full of eggs.

He scooted farther away from Courtney, who pouted and leaned back.

"He has these little models of creatures," she explained. "Beasties he invents and brings to life, in clay form at least."

Deryn piped up then. "The officers let that grease-mop of a boy bring heavy barking clay on board? For his daft hobby?"

"Well, it's not 'daft' to the officers I suppose." Courtney had turned her head to her, but made no further effort to turn her body. "They rather seem to enjoy his creations. He puts a lot of effort into them, you know. Research. Science stuff. You wouldn't understand." She returned her attention to Alek. "I'd love to explain to you, though, if you're interested?" She beamed at him.

Deryn swallowed her eggs with a sour expression that Alek was sure had nothing to do with her food.

"Er, no thanks," he said. "Deryn's much more familiar with all this Darwinist stuff than I am."

Courtney made a dismissive sound. "Oh, maybe with brutish airbeasts and their limited uses. I doubt she really understands the mechanics and biology of them. You're educated; even it was a Clanker education. I'm sure you would find it fascinating." When he did not reply, she added, "Did you know that Nathaniel and I are orphans, just like you?" She took his hands in hers, as if that were a comfort. He pried his fingers away from hers as she went on enthusiastically. "Then we were discovered by Zoological Society because we were the smartest at our schools, the very best, top of our class in every subject…"

Deryn picked up her tray and began to walk to the rubbish receptacle. On the way, her boot caught on the foot of her own chair, and the (decidedly un-Deryn-ish) leftover food on her plate spilled all over Courtney. Deryn gave a theatrical gasp as Courtney sputtered and went red in the face.

"Oops! Sorry Goldilocks! Must've lost my footing," Deryn said innocently. Alek refrained from laughing outright, although the yolk running down the side of Courtney's furious face made it difficult to hold it in.

Nathaniel, walking into the mess just in time to see the messy spectacle, had no such qualms about politeness. His laughter filled the deadly silence in the room.

Courtney closed her eyes for a second before looking at Deryn evenly. "Is that how a real soldier fights?" Deryn stiffened, her smirk freezing in place and her fists bunched at her sides. "Oh, I forgot, you're not a soldier, you're not even a spy," Alek stood up, reading the danger signs in Deryn's stance, but Courtney kept going. "You're just a little girl playing dress-up, pretending that she can get the fairy-tale prince in the end."

Alek leaped at Deryn just as her fist brushed Courtney's curls.

"I AM a real soldier, you sodding BUM-RAG of a CLART MUSHROOM! And I'm a better spy than YOU could ever be, because barking GERMANS would spot you from MILES away with your giant A-"

Nathaniel joined Alek in restraining the seething former midshipman, seeming to take an odd pleasure in holding her back.

"YOU'RE LUCKY THEY'RE HERE, GOLDILOCKS, OR YOUR STUPID FACE WOULD HAVE MET MY FISTS IN AN INSTANT, AN INSTANT!" screamed Deryn.

"Hey, Courtney," said Alek.

Courtney batted her eyelashes at him, hovering just out of reach of Deryn's biting teeth. "Yes, Princie-Poo?"

Deryn swore with greater ferocity.

"I think you need to leave," said Alek.

Courtney looked around and shrugged, apparently deciding that she had accomplished enough there for now, and walked out the door.

"COWARD!" Deryn yelled. She took a few deep breaths and muttered a few more curses before he and Nathaniel felt it was safe to let her go. Alek decided to try to defuse the situation.

"So…when did her flirting with me stop being funny?" He glanced at Nathaniel, deciding it shouldn't matter too much what the boy knew about them. They were on the same side, after all.

Deryn smirked at him, though her eyes were still narrowed dangerously. "As soon as she stopped you from trying those eagle eggs. They were right barking delicious they were," she pointed at the yellow mess on the ground, "and now they've gone cold."

Alek shook his head, trying to hide his smile. He turned to the mop-haired boy beside them.

"Thank you, Nathaniel, by the way."

"It's Nate, and anytime." He grinned and turned to Deryn. "You're strong for a girl."

Her smile went tight again. "Aye, and I can throw a pretty good punch, too," she said.

"Prince Aleksandar von Hohenburg and Midshipman Dylan Sharp," called out a message lizard from the ceiling. All three snapped up their heads to look at it. "Your presence is requested on the bridge. A top secret message has been delivered to the ship by a Miss Nora Barlow, addressed to you. Will you receive it?"

"We'll be there, sir. End message," replied Deryn, grinning again. "Hopefully this means we actually get to know what our barking mission is in Hawaii," she said as the lizard scuttled away.

Alek was frowning. "They called me a prince. I told them I no longer hold that title…"

"Aye and they called me a midshipman. I think it's barking decent of them to call us by our proper names," she said, winking and pulling him toward the bridge. "Later, Nate!" she called over her shoulder. Alek turned in time to see him raise his hand in farewell, still smiling.

It occurred to him that this was the first time he had seen the boy smile in earnest since they came aboard. He smiled back at him. Perhaps Nate wasn't as unpleasant as he seemed.

Hours later, Alek and Deryn sat up on the topside of the Minotaur, their hands linked between them. It had taken a little talking on Deryn's part to get the captain to let them climb to the topside, and she finally resorted to flashing hers and Alek's medals to make him give in.

Alek was sure that her knee must have been twinging from all the sudden climbing, but she was doing a good job of pretending it wasn't. Now, they just breathed, soaking in the events of the day, the news that was brought via Dr. Barlow's letter just hours earlier.

The letter had said that they would be staying at the Moana Hotel and later at the Haleiwa Hotel, and that they must work with her "sources" to gather information for the society, but what information is needed and why will be revealed when they get there. And say "Hi" to the other boffins for her. Deryn had groaned at that, and Alek decided that for once, it would be acceptable to ignore the boffin's request. They both itched with anticipation at the prospect of determining the real purpose of this ludacris mission across the world. But here on the topside, they said nothing, neither wanting to break the perfect moment of silence they were granted for once. After all, with such a mysterious mission as this, who knew what could happen next?

"Patience is a virtue," Bovril said impatiently, hopping from Deryn's shoulder to his. They both smiled at him before their gazes met. Deryn stuck his tongue out at him. His smile grew. Glancing around, he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers quickly. Bovril settled down. They stared at the clouds and waited for the sun to set.

The islands spread out before them like ridged green jewels set on shimmering blue and green fabric. As they drew closer to the islands, Deryn and Alek could see dolphins from the mess hall windows; they jumped up towards the ship, playing in the waves of the pacific. A giant black bird flew by, with a queer red pouch nestled under its beak.

"Eeva," said Bovril. Both the former midshipman and the former prince looked at the beast strangely.

"He's quite right," said Dr. Stanton's voice behind them. "That bird is one of many natural, exotic animals that reside here: _Frigata Minor_, the great frigate bird, known to the natives as 'Iwa.' Though how your creature could have known such a fact is a mystery," she finished, staring at Bovril oddly.

Dr. Goldman butted in, "But we are not in any place, may I remind you, Gloria, to question the validity of any of Dr. Barlow's experiments."

Alek was about to intervene and assure both of them that Bovril had indeed been deemed defective by the inventress herself, but Deryn shook her head almost imperceptibly. _Let them be_, she seemed to silently say_. It won't matter what we tell them_.

They continued to look out the window, surveying the shape of the island of Oahu where they were to land. Two mountain ranges stretched from north to south like a pair of quotation marks, the right one being taller and longer than the left. They spotted Pearl Harbor in the center of the southern coast: a circular inlet with bustling wharves and docks, filled with mostly American ships of air and water, along with merchants, dockworkers, and soldiers. Construction projects raged beside thriving hardware and convenience stores, tattoo parlors and a few gift shops. To the southeast of the harbor, Waikiki was comprised of a couple of lavish hotels surrounded by seemingly untouched, picturesque beaches lined with palm trees and natives in canoes. Finally, near the southernmost tip of the island, they saw the famous Diamond Head crater - which would today serve as an impromptu British airfield. It had been explained that the other airfields were being used by American merchant ships, and besides that, the former volcano (long dormant) was an ideal place for them to nestle the small-ish hydrogen breather. They took in all they could see before the views were blocked by the sides of the crater. Alek's head spun, and for some reason, he was reminded of the hustle-and-bustle melting pot feeling of Istanbul.

He grinned. Perhaps that meant he could make a difference in this war again.

"What are you grinning at, your princlieness?" Deryn asked. "You don't have any daft ideas about fate entering your head again, do you?"

Alek just kept smiling. "It just feels a bit like back in Istanbul, is all."

"Ohhh no you don't," said Deryn as she dragged him toward the cargo bay. "Come on, carrying some luggage out to clear your cracked attic."

Alek shifted the luggage in his arms, not breaking stride as he and Deryn walked toward the gate the boffins had pointed at after the Minotaur landed. Jaspert had to help with getting the ship situated for the ride back, but he had promised to say a final farewell before they departed.

As Alek was keeping a small bag from toppling onto the ground, he spotted someone staring at them from the edge of the landing field/crater. He stopped so abruptly that Deryn, who was holding luggage of her own, bumped into him with a muffled "Oof."

A tall, thin man stood on the grass, holding a large bag with both hands and looking quite out of place. He wore a black dress suit with an absurdly bright tie, and his trouser legs were rolled up to reveal a pair of spotless black shoes and impeccably white socks.

"Oi! Daft prince! Why've you stopped? The whole idea of walking is to _move_," said Deryn. The perspicacious loris on her shoulder snickered.

The man was so still that the only sign of life Alek could see in him were his glinting eyes and slightly twitching mustache.

"What's the matter, Alek?" Deryn asked. "You're gaping like a fish." The loris cackled again.

Alek found his voice. "God's wounds! What is he doing here?"

Deryn craned her neck around the bags in her arms to follow his line of sight, and her eyes widened. Climbing to the top of the girl's head to get a better view, Bovril exclaimed, "Vulgar Volger!"

"Hush beastie," Alek said in a daze.

"Barking spiders," Deryn breathed.

The wildcount made no move to help them with the luggage as they hurried closer to him.

"I expect you are both wondering why I am wearing this ridiculous tie. I assure you, it is not an attempt at being fashionable. Dr. Barlow happened to send it to me as a gift, along with a letter briefing me on how I am to assist you two on this isolated rock of an island. She obviously did not expect me to wear it, so to remain unpredictable, I did exactly that. Please stress this to her."

He waited. Baffled, they said nothing. Bovril coughed.

"Oh, and welcome to Hawaii. Follow me, Your Highness."

**Remember: review = Bovril points (better than awesome points)! :{D**


	5. Chapter 5

***Attempts to sneak in a chapter after months of neglect***

**I have no excuse other than that life interferes. I apologize profusely and would also like to thank all you wonderful readers who have reviewed and helped to make my story a thousand times better (yes, I edited the past chapters with you guys in mind – so many errors, thank you for catching them!). Plus, reviews (AND THAT CUTE DRAWING OF KARATE BOVRIL DID YOU ALL SEE IT IF YOU DIDN'T HERE'S THE LINK [take out the spaces] deviantart art/ Bovril-the-Karate-Master-396853077 IT'S GREAT) give me a warm fuzzy feeling that motivates like nothing else. :D**

**Now, let the fun begin…**

* * *

><p>"Will the luggage be okay in there?" Alek asked Volger, eyeing the receding form of the clanker vehicle suspiciously. He itched with an instinct to run after it and reclaim all the bags he and Deryn had so painstakingly loaded into it. To his surprise, the Count laughed.<p>

"Alek, you and your group have arrived as special guests of the monarchy. The natives who run the commercial vehicles here would no more steal from you than they would their own Queen. Besides, I have personally double-checked the backgrounds of all the staff of this hotel, and can guarantee that all your party's luggage will be waiting for you safely in your respective rooms when you retire."

Alek shook his head in wonderment. "Are you sure you're not on the payroll of the Society?" he called after Volger, who had turned and was walking towards the white pillars of the hotel they had been dropped off at.

"If I did receive anything special in exchange for my valuable time and work here," he called back nonchalantly, "it so happens that it is none of your business anymore."

Alek shivered and decided that he didn't actually want to know. He looked around for Deryn, anxious to follow Volger before he left them there, without a clue as to what their true mission might be. A familiar Scottish lilt floated over the heads of the tourists, sailors, airmen, and construction workers that crowded the streets.

"Come on then, wee beastie, we haven't got time for touristy paraphernalia!"

He spotted her dashing into the hotel gift shop, presumably after their loris. It wasn't like Bovril to run off without cause. He chased after them both and slipped into the gift shop just in time to witness Deryn Sharp...trip.

Alek knew from personal experience that Deryn Sharp never tripped. Especially when working on an airbeast, one had to be as sure-footed as a billy-goat - a trait that Deryn had consistently displayed. And yet, as if in slow motion, in this tacky Hawaiian gift shop, her outstretched foot caught on the toe of another's; she landed on her stomach, still reaching for Bovril, who was happily sipping amber liquid from a tiny tumbler. Before Alek had time to process it all, Jaspert stepped out of the shadows and grinned over his fallen sister, hoisting her to her feet even as she swore at him in a constant stream.

"You're lucky they get sailors in here all the time," Jas said to her when she had finished. "For once, folks won't be as shocked at your foul mouth."

Deryn was still fuming, so Alek decided to close his gaping mouth and ask the obvious question: "Er, Jaspert, not to be unwelcoming, but…why are you still here?"

Jas turned to him, still smiling, his easy countenance reminding Alek of Deryn's airman swagger.

"Well, I _have_ been working on the Minotaur throughout the _entirety_ of the war. I deserved some holiday leave – and what better place than paradise?" He gestured grandly around him at the rows of miniature palm trees and fake flowers. Lowering his voice, he added, "And after I mentioned to the professors that they might need another pair of hands for any extra cargo on the way back...everybody gets souvenirs," he assured Alek, posing with a coconut bra over his chest, "...anyway, after that it was easy to get on board the mission with my adventurous _cousin_." He laughed triumphantly and returned the bra to a shelf as Deryn scowled and snatched the now-empty tiny tumbler from the loris's resisting paws. She sniffed it, wrinkling her nose.

"You lured Bovril with scotch?" she asked incredulously.

He shrugged and nicked the glass from her hand. "I imagine the beastie likes to get a bit tipsy from time to time," he half-conceded, scratching the top of the loris' head as he climbed on Deryn's shoulder.

A throat cleared, and suddenly Volger was watching them from behind the postcard stand.

"If you're all quite ready," he said coldly, "lunch is on its way." He stared at Jaspert through narrowed eyes. "You resemble Mr. Sharp far too much for my tastes, young man. Who are you?"

Jaspert shifted uncomfortably before extending his free hand. "Coxswain Jaspert Sharp, sir, here to assist the Professors with their on-island affairs."

Volger made no move to meet his hand, choosing instead to remark sharply, "Is that a shot glass in your other hand, boy? I'll inform you that there will be no consumption of alcohol on this trip before 6 o'clock in the evening at the _very earliest_, is that clear?" Jaspert blinked, and the former count walked away with a curt "follow me," before he had time to respond. Alek noticed that Deryn seemed to be smothering a smile. Jaspert was muttering about a stick being shoved into an inappropriate orifice. Alek patted his shoulder with what he hoped was reassurance.

"You get used to him eventually," he said. Jas seemed to take no notice, and Deryn let out a quiet "ha!" of sarcastic disbelief that Alek decided to ignore.

From where they sat in the middle of the Moana Surfrider Hotel's courtyard, Deryn could see the ocean sparkling under the bright tropical sun. They were situated at a round table under a large, sprawling tree whose roots spread into the soil and hung from its branches. Faint, twanging music floated down from the higher floors of the building, which was shaped like a squared-U, with two wings extending toward the sea, between which the courtyard was situated snugly. She sighed and picked her tiny umbrella out of her drink, opened and closed it a few times before handing it to Bovril, who began twirling it like a parasol. She snorted and tried to return her attention to the idle small talk around her. Alek and Volger, along with the two boffins and their asinine assistants, were sitting around the shell-studded table, chatting about the weather and the quality of the fresh fish they were consuming slowly (and which Deryn had finished within the first five minutes of being seated). The professors and their assistants had changed into warm-weather outfits: garishly colored, busy-patterned things that showed a bit too much skin for Deryn's taste (especially in the cases of the younger duo). Jaspert had been called upon to help deliver their baggage to the rooms, so she had no chance of respite there, and Alek was immersed in discussion with the former count - Nathaniel was the only one who seemed as bored of the conversations as she was. She slipped her fork under the table and flicked a piece of pineapple at his exposed, blindingly white knee. He flinched at the impact, looking around in confusion before noticing Deryn twirling her fork around and looking up at the tree, smirking. He scowled at her and sat up straighter, grabbing at his own fork and pineapples - but before he had the chance to retaliate, Volger clapped his hands together loudly, quieting all voices at the table.

"I realize that this seems a rather open venue for discussion of our true purpose here, but I can assure you all that this is a secure environment." He gestured around at the strangely and suddenly empty courtyard, glancing meaningfully at a touristy-looking, musical commotion building farther down the beach. He steepled his hands above his empty plate before continuing. "This area should be ours for the next ten minutes or so, so I shall be brief.

You were all sent here on behalf of the Society because of your respective skills, specific knowledge, or appropriate fields of study. Here, you are to describe yourselves as the purveyors of a scientific study on the island's diverse ecology and rare species. You are here as guests of the monarchy as well as of two established American business interests, Dole Canneries and Oahu Railway & Land Company. The monarchy is currently seated by Queen Lydia Lili'uokalani, and the next in line for the throne is Princess Victoria Ka'iulani, both of whom reside at 'Iolani Palace, and whose estate you will be visiting, in order that you may deliver them tributary gifts on behalf of the British crown. They have been informed of your true purpose here, as our goals ultimately align with theirs - they have and will accordingly take precautions to to keep your mission clandestine. Dole and the Railway Company on the other hand, have been convinced of the purely scientific nature of your visit, and it is of the utmost importance that this cover be maintained."

By then, Deryn was nearly jumping out of her seat with anticipation. _What's our actual barking mission, then?_

"Dole and Dillingham, the respective owners of these ventures, are seeking to repeat the attempt they made in 1898 to overthrow the indigenous monarchy," he was saying as he returned his hands to his lap, presumably wiping off imaginary crumbs. "This time, they have a far more developed infrastructure and access to a plethora of resources that were previously unavailable to them: the American base at Pearl Harbor has undergone improvements that have increased the amount of trade in the area, and the relatively new American territories in Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Cuba represent similar benefits.

A monarchical usurpation, however, is decidedly contrary to British economic interests as well as to Darwinist technologies themselves, in that these islands are home to an almost unparalleled variety of species; the Society could not allow such a diverse selection of gene pools to succumb to the rule of a single corporate power or group of powers. The Hawaiian monarchy is already on open terms with the British government as well as the Society, and a shift in governance here would jeopardize these beneficial relations. In order to prevent this and to protect the islands from limiting corporate...influence, the Society must understand the motives of Sanford Dole, owner of Dole Canneries, and Benjamin Dillingham, owner of Oahu Railways. They must also ascertain the details of their plans - which is where you all come in.

The Society has arranged for Mr. Dole to give you an extended tour of the island, culminating in a week-long stay at Mr. Dillingham's luxurious Hale'iwa Hotel. In order to keep up the cover story, and also for actual scientific study, you will be collecting samples of native wildlife along the way. As for the scientists," he produced two packets of papers from a briefcase beside his feet and handed them to the boffins. "Here are your assigned lists of specific species that the Society has charged you with thoroughly studying and extracting DNA from. You and your assistants will find complimentary kits of necessary tools in your rooms.

Alek and Deryn, you two will, naturally, need false identities so as not to draw any unwanted attention to yourselves. Your," he struggled to find the right words, "...airman...friend...must be develop a new identity as well. The Society has seen fit to let you choose your own names, as long as they are, of course, within reason, and befit the lowly service workers you are pretending to be. You will assist the boffins in whatever task is at hand and attempt to gather information about the business men's' plans through their employees and others around them who are of lower status.

All of you are to report to this hotel at noon thirteen days from now so that you may be transported back to London." He stopped and sat back in his chair. "Other than that, all I can do is stress the secrecy of your mission, and wish you good luck." He smiled with narrowed eyes, the meaning of which Deryn could only guess at - either the man was trying to convey his skeptical feelings about the mission, or the bright Hawaiian day reflected by the waves, sand, and white buildings surrounding them was proving too much for his vision.

They all sat silently for a moment, the boffins already skimming through their packets with their assistants attempting to read over their shoulders, Alek and Deryn digesting the information, Volger calmly staring out over the ocean in an uncharacteristically aloof manner. Before Deryn had time to wonder about his behavior too much, Alek began to speak. He was abruptly cut-off by a gesture and a subtle head-shake from his former tutor.

"Save your questions for later, young former prince," Volger said with a glint in his eye. "The tourists are meandering back even as we speak," he nodded behind him, and indeed a few love-struck couples were beginning to re-seat themselves across the courtyard. "We shall have the chance to talk again before tomorrow - in the morning, you shall pay a visit to the local royals." He began to stand. "Until then, I invite you all to begin to settle into your rooms and rest from your travels. I shall send for you when dinner has been prepared." At that, he nodded his farewell and strode away, disappearing into the busy lobby. A hotel attendant promptly walked to their table, handed them each room keys with attached numbers, and began to collect their dishes.

The boffins and their assistants were still soundly absorbed in their papers, while Alek and Bovril were whispering hushed words between them. Deryn tried to make out their meaning, but gave up and resolved to ask Alek about it later. Again finding herself with nothing useful to do, she stood up and walked in what she hoped was the direction of her room.

Deryn fell backwards onto the tiny bed with a sigh. After a few wrong turns and a short run-in with one of the hotel workers, she had finally found the room she would be staying in for the next few days. She didn't unpack, nor did she bother studying the room too much - but for its relative simplicity (the lobby and most of the halls she had passed through were lavishly decorated), it was more luxurious than any of the rooms Deryn had seen on airships or in the houses in Glasgow.

She caught a whiff of something as she shifted into a more comfortable position - and smiled in spite of her vaguely sour mood. Even the sheets in this modest servants' room smelled of flowers. She imagined that Alek must feel far more at home than she did, surrounded by nice smells and plush carpets and gilded furniture. At this hotel at least, he would be staying in a room "fitting of his true status," as the boffins put it. Stretching her limbs, she thought that such a life didn't seem so bad...then she remembered the pain in Alek's eyes when he talked about his old life, the grave consequences that came with money and power. She wondered how different _her_ life would have been if her parents had been wealthy - would her Pa still have flown? Would he have taught her his skills, or would she have been forced into skirts and etiquette school before she had the chance to discover the wonderful feeling of being airborne, of being free?

She could have laughed at this connection, between lack of wealth and freedom. Sure, her family could never afford fluffy beds or fancy paintings, but at least until her Pa's accident she was able to do what she wanted, whether it was chasing chickens through the yard, running around the streets of Glasgow with the neighborhood boys, or soaring above the green fields and forests with her father. Alek had been burdened by his parents' money and status, forced to abide by the rules and customs of his station, tutored endlessly on what seemed to her like all subjects under the sun. _Right cheated out of a childhood_...she shook off these thoughts and let Volger's speech replay in her mind instead.

Being a servant "boy" was all fine and dandy, and she was sure she could get cozy with the blokes that were sure to be hanging about Dole and Dillingham. What she worried about was how _Alek_ could pretend to be common. Most of their disguises back in London had required her to move up in station, not him to move down. He was going to need a lesson in how normal people acted - he had learned quite a lot in his time with her, but he would probably need a bit more coaching to be able to really imitate someone who hadn't grown up in luxury. The differences in culture would help his case too, and anything strange he did in front of the locals could just be attributed to him being from Austria. And luckily, servants came from all backgrounds, so it wouldn't be so surprising that a Scotsman and an Austrian were working together for the British Zoological Society. Deryn sat up, beginning to prepare a background story for her new persona, and reminded herself that she would have to catch Jaspert up on everything - she grinned at the thought of making him memorize all the minuscule details of his new identity. They already looked and sounded alike, so he should probably have the same fake last name as her...

Maybe they could decide on a name together.

She bounced onto the souls of her feet, newly invigorated with her task.

* * *

><p><strong>I just want to mention that I actually put a lot of research into this story, so most of these places, names, and events are NOT pulled out of my ass, haha (I actually surfed and ate at this hotel many times, although I've never actually stayed there). That being said, I did change a few things here and there: in reality, Hawaii was annexed by the U.S. not long after the Spanish-American War in 1898; I decided that in the Leviathan universe, the first overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy failed, but American business interests were begrudgingly allowed to stay because the Hawaiian economy was too dependent on them by then to force them out. So yay for fake history!<strong>

**P.S. I'm in England as I write this. The irony, friends, the burning, painful irony.**  
><strong>REVIEW FOR BOMBASTIC BOVRIL POINTS! :3<strong>


End file.
